Mourning Dove

This pair of Mourning Dove is the first birds coming back to my back yard after being gone for the winter.

I started bird watching and bird feeding last year. This pair of Mourning Dove was frequent visitors. They built a nest in the tree behind the wall; the female bird laid eggs and incubated the eggs. Somehow the eggs were stolen either by the squirrel or by a cat.

The female Mourning Dove was mourning for the loss for many days. The first day, she was sitting on her felly on the grass, motionless for almost ten minutes. The male Mourning Dove was standing, facing her about one foot away. He also didn’t move a feather. I couldn’t believe the scene. I was hiding behind the patio chair to take photos of them, and watched the timer in the camera. Finally, the female bird stood up and moved slowly. Then the male bird stretched his legs and wings, also moved around a little bit. The male gray jay showed such sensitivity toward the female bird. That was an unforgettable sight to me.

Now they are coming back all the way from south. They remember my backyard! I quickly poured out some bird seeds for them. They feel very much at home. When I go in and out to do things in the garden, they are not bothered or frightened by me. Only if I walk too close to them, they would fly away.

I welcome them back, and hope they will try again to make their offspring.

This is lovely. I adore birds, and like to take pics of them myself. Last winter an American Robin set up a nest in my patio rafter , he stayed for 4 months, coming at 7 am leaving at 7pm, but always returning . it was so delightful , I did get a picture. ❤

Aww it’s heartbreaking to watch birds when they lose their babies. Magpies are always taking fledgling blackbirds where I live every spring. You always know something is happening when you hear the distressed chattering of the blackbirds. Those birds of yours look very much like the collar doves that live in my neighbourhood, they always seem such gentle birds. Hope yours manage to successfully reproduce this year.

We also have black birds in our garden but they don’t look like Magpies. I don’t know their name. Same thing happened last year. I think the cat ate the eggs. The bird was crying for many days, chased after the cat ans pecked his tail. I wasn’t sure what happened but later figured out. One time the cat just sat still and let the bird peck him as if he deserved it!!

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About me

Miriam Hurdle grew up in Hong Kong where she went to college and worked for five years before coming to the United States. While in Hong Kong, she taught Chinese as a Second Language in Hong Kong Baptist University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong for three years. She was also the Director of Children’s Department at the Asian Outreach where she published four Chinese Children’s books.
Miriam Hurdle came to the United States for her graduate studies. She received her master’s degrees in Christian Ministry from Portland Seminary, Counseling from Seattle Pacific University, and Education Administration from California State University, Los Angles. After teaching in California public school for fifteen years, she was promoted to a school district administrative position. She went on to do the postgraduate studies and earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from La Verne University in California. Dr. Hurdle continued in her administrative position for ten years before her retirement.
In her retired life, Dr. Hurdle enjoys doing volunteer counseling, reading, writing, blogging, singing, drawing, watercolor painting, gardening, photographing, and traveling. Dr. Hurdle is married to Lynton Hurdle and has one married daughter and one granddaughter.